The Sneaker Winners and Loser of the 1996 NBA Draft

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The 1996 NBA Draft Class might be the best draft class of all time in NBA history. The class features players with countless awards from three MVPs to 11 All-Stars, and a ridiculous amount of points as well. The 1996 class is also set to feature multiple surefire future Hall of Famers from shooting guards Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant to point guard Steve Nash. '96 is also highlighted by numerous successful and memorable ballers such as Marcus Camby and Antoine Walker.

Despite the dearth of talent in the 1996 class, when we look back at photos, we see some sneakers that we thought were great back in the '90s, but would probably re-think about now. These are the Worst Signature Shoes of the 1996 NBA Draft.

Rafael Canton is a freelance writer from Queens, NY and contributor to Sneaker Report. Anytime there is a conversation about the NBA, music, or nutella, he can be found in the thick of the discussion. He can be found on Twitter @RafelitoC7.

RELATED: Every Brand That NBA Rookies Signed With This Year
RELATED: Sneakers Worn for the 25 Highest Scoring Seasons in NBA History

Reebok Triple Deuce
Images via cleveland.com & myhupu.com

Reebok Triple Deuce

Rookie: Vitaly Potapenko
Rank: Loser

In a year where Reebok delivered some truly classic shoes, Potapenko got hit with a fail... and didn't manage to achieve much on the court either. Vitaly was one of many wearing the Reebok Triple Deuce during the 1996-97 NBA season. Many players from Atlanta Hawks guard Steve Smith to Potapenko's own teammate Tyrone Hill wore the shoe during that season. The Cavs rookie center is considered one of the bigger disappointments in this draft as he was drafted 12th in the NBA draft ahead of All-Stars Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal, Steve Nash, Peja Stojakovic, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

Nike Air Flight Turbulence
Image via nicekicks.com

Nike Air Flight Turbulence

Rookie: Marcus Camby
Rank: Loser

The second pick in the draft Marcus Camby was seen wearing the Nike Air Flight Turbulence during his rookie season with the Toronto Raptors. Camby averaged nearly 15 points per contest that season and made the All-Rookie First Team while building his reputation for freakishly athletic plays throughout the season. This was a fail as the Camby could have gone higher than a Nike team shoe.

AND1 Original
Images via bleacherreport.com & sulit.com

And1 Original

Rookie: Stephon Marbury
Rank: Loser

Stephon Marbury wearing these And1's were the beginning of the brief dominance that the brand had with a large percentage of NBA player's wearing the brand consistently. Marbury wore the brand during his rookie season in Minnesota and his success during his rookie year probably helped build awareness as Marbury helped lead the Timberwolves to their first playoff appearance in franchise history. Good for the brand, bad for Marbury.

Nike Air Flight Max
Images via blog.mitchellandness.com & zapasdebasket.comeze.com

Nike Air Flight Max

Rookie: Steve Nash
Rank: Winner

Steve Nash wasn't ultra-successful in his first stint with Phoenix. The Suns guard didn't receive much playing time as he played behind star guards Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson. Nash wore the Nike Air Flight Max during the season including the Schick Rookie Challenge during 1997 All-Star Weekend, so this pairing is a win in our book.

adidas EQT Top Ten 2010
Images via sports.yahoo.com & solecollector.com

adidas EQT Top Ten 2010

Rookie: Antoine Walker
Rank: Loser

The shimmy will forever be remembered in Boston and it can only be remembered while Walker was wearing adidas throughout his entire career. During his rookie season, Walker wore the adidas EQT Top Ten 2010 in a season where he averaged nearly 18 points and 9 rebounds per contest for the Celtics.

Reekbok Icepick Mid
Images via ioffer.com & solecollector.com

Reebok Icepick Mid

Rookie: Derek Fisher
Rank: Winner

The other rookie on the 1996-97 Lakers was Derek Fisher. He became a featured player because of his consistency on the floor and his leadership on the Lakers. The five-time champion wore the Reebok Icepick during his rookie season as he provided a solid presence as Nick Van Exel's backup in Los Angeles during his rookie season.

adidas  Top Ten 2000
Images via bleacherreport.com & sneakernews.com

adidas EQT Top Ten 2000

Rookie: Kobe Bryant
Rank: Loser

Kobe Bryant had a less than stellar rookie season. While it may seem like he struggled, it was really due to the depth of the 56-26 Lakers team that featured a deep guard rotation including All-Stars Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones as well as Byron Scott and fellow rookie Derek Fisher. Kobe managed to average 7.6 PPG while in his adidas shoes throughout the season. Bryant wore these adidas shoes only for a brief period in his rookie season.

adidas eqt elevate
Images via nicekicks.com & nicekicks.com

adidas EQT Elevation

Rookie: Kobe Bryant
Rank: Loser

Kobe wore the adidas EQT Elevation during his slam dunk contest win in 1997. Bryant won rather easily in the '97 contest and would be the beginning of a long and fruitful career. They definitely bring good luck, but don't bring much else in terms of design or style. 

Reebok Question
Images via nicekicks.com & solecollector.com

Reebok Question

Rookie: Allen Iverson
Rank: Winner

The Reebok Question has to stand out as one of the top signature shoes during the '97 season. Allen Iverson was putting up ridiculous numbers in his rookie season. The 1997 Rookie of the Year scored 40 points in five consecutive games at one point and finished in the top ten of the NBA in scoring and steals in his rookie year. Those Reebok Questions came along for the ride, but were they worthy?

Karl Kani
Images via fatshawnkemp.com & teamblackdreams.com

Karl Kani

Rookie: John Wallace
Rank: Winner

John Wallace wasn't a bad basketball player, but this made no sense at all. We guess it made some sense because of Wallace's connection with New York, but we'll chalk this up as a head scratcher and a complete sneaker win.

Rafael Canton is a freelance writer from Queens, NY and contributor to Sneaker Report. Anytime there is a conversation about the NBA, music, or nutella, he can be found in the thick of the discussion. He can be found on Twitter @RafelitoC7.

RELATED: Every Brand That NBA Rookies Signed With This Year
RELATED: Sneakers Worn for the 25 Highest Scoring Seasons in NBA History